Date: Wed, 28 Aug 2013 15:10:59 +1000 To: manasa@itforchange.net From: Roger Clarke Subject: Re: Seeking support for civil society statement Parminder Jeet Singh Executive Director IT for Change Dear Parminder Thank you for the opportunity to consider endorsing the statement at: http://www.itforchange.net/civil_society_statement_on_democratic_inter net The Australian Privacy Foundation (APF) is, we believe, the longest- standing public interest organisation in the world that focuses specifically on privacy. Since 1987, we have contributed to a great many debates on information infrastructure and Internet issues, and have recognition and ongoing commitments internationally. APF is very sympathetic to many of the elements embodied in the current draft statement. On the other hand, it is very concerned about one key aspect. As the world moves to progressively decrease the degree of influence of the US government on Internet governance, it is vital that the stage not be set for other governments to fill the gap. The Internet must be infrastructure for everyone, and must not become subject to dominance by regimes that are unfriendly to personal freedoms. It is critical that civil society organisations such as ours and yours adopt and embed within position statements the high level principles of: - multi-stakeholder governance; and - an open Internet. If you revise the draft statement to reflect those principles, APF would very much like to reconsider its interim decision not to endorse the current draft. Regards ... Roger Clarke (Chair, APF) -- Roger Clarke http://www.rogerclarke.com/ Xamax Consultancy Pty Ltd 78 Sidaway St, Chapman ACT 2611 AUSTRALIA Tel: +61 2 6288 6916 http://about.me/roger.clarke mailto:Roger.Clarke@xamax.com.au http://www.xamax.com.au/ Visiting Professor in the Faculty of Law University of N.S.W. Visiting Professor in Computer Science Australian National University